1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to portable building structures. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable enclosure for personal use which may be readily moved between raised and lowered positions. Specifically, the invention relates to a portable apparatus which when in the lowered position provides waterproof storage, and when in the raised position, provides a privacy closet for use as a changing area, or for other purposes such as providing toilet facilities.
2. Background Information
Outdoor recreation, including water recreation has flourished in the past twenty years and an increasing number of individuals are camping, hiking and boating for recreation. As a general rule, commercial or public campgrounds provide toilet, shower and changing facilities. However, an increasing number of people are camping away from public campgrounds, or are camping a significant distance from the public facilities at the campground. Further, many of the boats used for recreation on inland waterways and lakes are not large enough to provide toilet facilities or private chambers for use as a changing room out of view of other boaters, or persons on shore.
A further problem associated with camping and boating is the need for watertight storage facilities for radios and the like when the equipment is not in use.
A number of portable privacy closets have been developed to treat the above two needs separately, but none of the known privacy closets provide both storage and a private chamber. Further, while the prior art devices are presumably sufficient for the purpose for which they were intended, the prior art privacy closets include a number of other drawbacks.
While U.S. Patent No. 3,629,875 provides a portable privacy closet, it does not provide an area for storage when the closet is not in use. Moreover, it is somewhat complicated to erect as the walls must be inflated. Still further, the inflated closet is subject to rupture when in a camping or boating environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,016 provides a collapsible marine chamber. However, this chamber is not removable from the boat and also does not provide stability in a windy environment such as on a boat as all four walls are formed with a flexible curtain.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,014,554 provides a portable shower bath cabinet. However, this cabinet must be completely disassembled into respective wall and floor portions when the cabinet is to be moved or collapsed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,242 is also directed to a portable room shelter that is collapsible. This structure does not provide a sealed storage area when the shelter is collapsed and moreover, the shelter utilizes a plurality of living hinge joints which are subject to cyclic stress and failure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,348, is directed to a head construction for a pontoon boat. However, the shelter is relatively complicated and expensive. Moreover, the structure is not portable and therefore cannot be removed from the boat.
Therefore, a need exists for a privacy closet which is sturdy when in the raised position, and provides a sealed storage area when in the lowered position and which may be easily moved from the lowered to the raised position. Moreover, the need exists for a privacy closet which is portable and may be carried to a campsite, or onto a boat as required by the user.